TOKYO -- Japan's Coca-Cola system, which consists of Coca-Cola (Japan) Co. Ltd. and 12 bottling companies, said it will ramp up its voluntary efforts to reduce power consumption in vending machines during the winter months. It launched numerous energy-saving initiatives in response to power shortages following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11.

Coca-Cola said it has informed its customers in regions served by specific Japanese power companies that it will turn off compressors during peak usage hours from mid-December through March. In addition, the beverage giant said it will reduce the number of light bulbs in outdoor vending machines that do not use LED lighting and keep all lighting off in indoor machines 24 hours a day.

"We will consider appropriate measures for other areas while taking into consideration the condition of power provision and the views of local and national governments as well as those of the power companies," said Coca-Cola Japan officials.

Coca-Cola and its bottlers have already installed 150,000 heat pumps in vending machines throughout Japan. The technology absorbs heat in the atmosphere and uses a compressor to transform it into electrical energy. In vending machines with heat pumps, the exhaust heat that is created when cooling products is used to heat warm products. Japan's Coca-Cola system has also begun deploying solar vending machines as part of its efforts to reduce energy consumption. It has also committed that all newly installed can and PET bottle beverage machines will have LED lighting for product displays.